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Investing in the Future

A new technology could mean time and money well spent.

Hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods made news over the past few years. Understandably, they were emotionally and financially devastating for the people and businesses affected by them. But as the cleanup efforts continue even today, the disasters are having a direct affect on Rainbow International franchise owners, too, says Robert Hanavan, owner of a Rainbow International franchise in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Insurance companies, which have been stretched to the limit, are demanding an increased level of documentation before paying out natural disaster claims. And sometimes, says Hanavan, the documentation isn’t enough.

“I’ve seen an increase in the level of insurance companies critiquing estimates and questioning more and more than they used to,” he says. Fortunately, Hanavan has the backing of a nationally recognized brand.

“I have experienced the respect of insurance agencies because I am part of a larger group and have that brand-name recognition,” says Hanavan.

Support, training, and advice from Rainbow International play a big role when dealing with insurance companies. Thanks to something he learned about from the vice president of Rainbow International, Jack White, Hanavan says he’s making a major purchase that will help in the documentation process required for insurance companies: a thermal-imaging camera.
Thermal-imaging cameras can seek out hidden moisture by detecting hot and cold radiant energy emanating from a wall. Even more important, they provide a lasting piece of documentation. Today, Rainbow International franchise owners rely on moisture meters, which do the same job but don’t leave behind a paper trail.

“We do a good job of cleaning and drying right now, but thermal-imaging cameras let you dry a job more efficiently and find moisture sooner,” explains Hanavan. “Plus, if you don’t have documentation, you can have a bill that runs thousands of dollars that you’re dropping into an adjuster’s lap and asking him to trust you.”

Photographic documentation, at its most basic level, helps you get paid faster, and makes it less likely that the insurance company will question your bill, he says. It also helps protect a franchise owner from litigation down the road. If you take a photograph at the beginning of a job and document the completed job and the fact that there’s no moisture left in a wall, this can help you defend against mold claims should they arise.

Of course, like any new technology, thermal-imaging cameras aren’t cheap. “It’s about an $8,000 investment,” says Hanavan. But one he expects will pay off quickly.

“Utilizing the special classes Rainbow International offers during training on how to market to insurance agents, adjusters, and plumbers,” he explains, “I’ll be able to walk into an insurance company’s office and say I have the latest technology. It’s a question of not just how much it will save me, but how much more business it will bring in.”

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